The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-04-19
THE PARNELL LETTER.

THE PARNELL LETTER.
Its Publication Causes Great Excitement
Among Men of All Parties.
LONDON. April 1S.-The alleged letter of Par
nell, supposed to have been addressed to Mr.
Egan, relative to the Phonix Park murders
which the Times published this morning. has
caused intense excitment among all parties. In
an interview. to-day, Mr.. Clancy (Parnellite)
member for Dublin county, branded the letter as
an Infamous concoction and declared that it bears
internal evidence of forgery. He said also, that
suspicion was already directed against certain
person as the forger. An Irish member of Par
lament departed for Dublin this morning to
compare the handwriting in the letter at
trihuted to Mr.. Parnell with that of the person
suspected.
The Times exposed special bulletins calling at
tenton to the letter and sent extra supplies to
railway news agents and book stalls. The lobby
of the House of Commons was crowded in the
afternoon with members eagerly discussing the
alleged Parnell letter. The Irish members in
dignantly declared it forgery. Mr.. Cane and
and Sir Henry James. Liberal Unionsts, were
observed in animated conversation over the let
ter.
The Globe, commenting on the letter. says
t'Untii the horrible accusation that Mr.. Parnell
wrote the letter is proved, shall discredit it."
The Pail Mall Gazette says: Until the
authenticity of the letter shall be absolutely
proved, there will be no need to discuss its con-
tents"
The ST. James Gazette says: ',The letter is so
grave document that it will not do to regard it
as genuine until Mr.. Paruell shall be heard from
concerning it."
Tue Parneliites all declare the letter an in
famous concoction and a deliberate invention to
publicly SANDER tie leader of the Home rule
party. They say that even the low ground
of expediency Mr. Parnel would be the last man
III the world to write a letter containing such
danning admissions. They contend, therefore.
that all the reason in the case proves the letter
to be forgery on the face of it, pointing for
proof to the contents of the document, espe-
ciallv to the writer's warning to the person to
whom the letter purporsad to be written not to
disclose the address, while address is given.
The fact that the signature is the only part of
the letter in Mr.. Parnels writing is by itself,
the Home-rulers argue, proof that the whole
thing is fraud, as. according to them, while it
would be difficult to obtain enough specimens of
Mr.. Parnell's handwriting to enable a forger to
initiate to the extent necessary to successfully
palm off whole letter his, it is not at all diff
fcult to obtain his signature.
Mr.. Parnell, the agent of the Associated Press
Is authorized to state, will categorically deny
that he wrote the letter. Mr.. Parnel will make
his denial in the House of Commons. The
editor of the Times will be summoned to the bar
of the House of Commons to explain the author
shin of the letter
The Times says: 1--WE pay no attention what
ever to Mr.. Parnells big words. If he proceeds
against rs we shall apply the only test by
which the truth can be brought plainly before
the world We are quite prepared to meet him. !"
Denounced as Forgery by Parnel.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal
LONDON, April 1s.---NIr Parnell. in an inter-
view, this evening. pointed out that although at
first sight some of the letters composing the
signature to the fac-simile letter published in
the Times this morning appeared to resemble
those which he habitually formed in writing his
autograph, closer INSPECTION and comparison of
the forgery with the genuine signature shows a
| decided and striking difference in many impor-
| tant points "In the first place." said Mr.. Par
nell. 'the writing of the forgery slopes upwards,
| while the genuine signature slopes downwards.
Then, thero other points of difference which
| are readily to be perceived. For instances In
variably place full top to the individual letter
IS, which. you will observe, is omitted from the
| forgery, and the r. 'Parnelr and the
/ C beginning the abbreviation Chas.'. are to-
| tally different from anything that I ever write
| in penning my name to anything. Moreover.
| the 'Ch' in 'Chas' is abnormally long and in
formation quite different from my own style of
forming the character. The initial letters IS
| and P' are the only ones at all resembling the
| genuine. In the forged signature the pen was
evidently taken off the paper at the beginning of
the letter "a in 'Chas.'. whereas the genuine sig
| nature is always written without break. The
| forgery is the work of a person accustomed to
| penmanship the writing peps that of free,
| flowing hand. while the genuine is invariable
written in a cramped style. The letter and sig
nature are impudent and clumsy forgeries. the
] identity of whose author very strongly suspect
| Whether not shall prosecute the Times fol-
| publishing the forgery have not yet decided"
/ Statement from Mr.. Esan.